Monday, March 6, 2023 – Kaiser Health News

The Washington Post: Diabetes And Obesity Rising In Young Americans, Study Finds
Diabetes and obesity are rising among young adults in the United States, an alarming development that puts them at higher risk for heart disease, according to a study of 13,000 people between 20 and 44 years old. The authors of the study, published Sunday in a major medical journal, warn the trends could have major public health implications: a rising generation dying prematurely of heart attacks, strokes and other complications. And Black and Hispanic people, particularly Mexican Americans, would bear the brunt. (Nirappil, 3/5)

NPR: Diabetes And Obesity Are On The Rise In Young Adults, A Study Says
The prevalence of diabetes climbed from 3% to 4.1%; obesity shot up from 32.7% to 40.9%, based on the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Sunday, which uses data from 2009 to 2020. (Bowman, 3/6)

In related news about diabetes and obesity drugs —

Stat: The Obesity Revolution: New Weight Loss Drugs Change The Narrative
A two-part message is permeating the halls of medicine and the fabric of society, sliding into medical school lectures, pediatricians’ offices, happy hours and social feeds: Obesity is a chronic biological disease — and it’s treatable with a new class of medications. (Chen and Herper, 3/5)

The Wall Street Journal: New Diabetes Drugs Like Ozempic Are Changing How Patients Are Treated
The way doctors treat diabetes is changing. For years, people with Type 2 diabetes who needed to take drugs to lower their blood-sugar levels started with an old medicine called metformin. New guidelines now recommend patients can start with one of the newer diabetes medicines, which can also reduce weight and protect the heart and kidney. The shift could help the many people with diabetes who are also dealing with conditions like hypertension, kidney disease and obesity, while still tackling the high blood sugar that is a hallmark of their diabetes. (Perez-Castells, 3/5)

CBS News: Ozempic-Like Weight Loss Drug Wegovy Coming To The U.K. Market, And It Will Cost A Fraction Of What Americans Pay
NICE said the list price of Wegovy in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg doses was 73.25 pounds (about $88) per pack of four pre-filled injection pens, but that if it becomes available on the NHS, it will either be free or cost patients the standard prescription fee of about $10 per order, depending on the cost structure. In the U.S. the same pack of four Wegovy injection pens has a list price of $1,349, but some health insurance plans will cover at least some of that cost. (Ott, 3/3)

ABC News: Eating Disorder Experts Are Worried About Ozempic
The popularity around weight loss drugs like Ozempic is worrying eating disorder experts, who say the conversation risks making recovery harder and could put others at risk of developing disorders. “My fear is that there is now a belief that anyone can and should achieve a certain body shape and size with the help of these medications, so there’s going to be an even greater drive towards a certain body type,” said Tracy Richmond, director of the eating disorder program at Boston Children’s Hospital. (Wetsman, 3/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Startup Offering Ozempic Surges With Controversial Ads, Fake Testimonials 
In eight months, a startup called NextMed has emerged as a growing service among many trying to capitalize on the craze for drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro that are often prescribed for weight loss. Run by a founder who graduated from college 14 months ago, the service has web traffic that has surpassed companies like Calibrate Health Inc. and Found Health Inc. that have advertised weight-loss prescriptions for longer. NextMed, whose corporate parent is Helio Logistics Inc., operates with far fewer employees than competitors. Calibrate has hundreds of employees, and Found has around 200. (Winkler, 3/4)

USA Today: Is There An Alternative To Statins For High Cholesterol? Bempedoic Acid Just Passed A Key Test
More than a quarter of Americans over 40 take medications to lower their cholesterol, most of them statins. But not everyone can tolerate statins or wants to. Now a new study confirms that bempedoic acid, approved in 2020, not only lowers cholesterol, but also reduces the risk for heart attack and stroke. (Weintraub, 3/4)

AP: Can’t Take Statins? New Pill Cuts Cholesterol, Heart Attacks 
In a major study, a different kind of cholesterol-lowering drug named Nexletol reduced the risk of heart attacks and some other cardiovascular problems in people who can’t tolerate statins, researchers reported Saturday. Doctors already prescribe the drug, known chemically as bempedoic acid, to be used together with a statin to help certain high-risk patients further lower their cholesterol. The new study tested Nexletol without the statin combination — and offers the first evidence that it also reduces the risk of cholesterol-caused health problems. (Neergaard, 3/4)

Stat: After Its Drug Was Shown To Prevent Heart Attacks, What’s Next For Esperion?
On Saturday a new study showed that Nexletol, the cholesterol-lowering medicine made by Esperion Therapeutics, prevented heart attacks among people who cannot or will not take potent cholesterol-lowering statins. The question now is whether those benefits are going to be enough to make sales of Nexletol take off. They have been basically dead in the water since the oral medicine was approved three years ago. (Herper, 3/6)

In other news about heart health —

CNN: ‘Keto-Like’ Diet May Be Associated With Heart Disease, According To New Research
A low-carb, high-fat “keto-like” diet may be linked to higher levels of “bad” cholesterol and double the risk of cardiovascular events such as blocked arteries, heart attacks and strokes, according to new research. “Our study found that regular consumption of a self-reported diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat was associated with increased levels of LDL cholesterol – or “bad” cholesterol – and a higher risk of heart disease,” lead study author Dr. Iulia Iatan with the Healthy Heart Program Prevention Clinic, St. Paul’s Hospital and University of British Columbia’s Centre for Heart Lung Innovation in Vancouver, Canada, said in a news release. (Hassan and LaMotte, 3/6)

The New York Times: New Treatment Could Help Fix The Heart’s ‘Forgotten Valve’ 
For the first time, patients with damaged tricuspid valves in their hearts might have a safe treatment that actually helps. More than 1 million mostly older Americans have seriously leaking tricuspids, a valve on the right side of the heart that lets deoxygenated blood flow between the right atrium and the right ventricle. When the valve leaks, blood flows backward. As a result, fluid accumulates in vital organs while legs and feet get swollen. The eventual outcome is heart failure. (Kolata, 3/4)

Stat: Heart Repair, Risky Genes, And AI: Highlights Of Cardiology Meeting
Aptly or paradoxically, thousands of the world’s leading cardiologists descended on the home of beignets, bouillabaisse, and beers sold to-go for a weekend-long dive into the latest developments in the science of keeping hearts beating healthily. While some noisy new data on a cholesterol drug consumed much of the oxygen, and the dawn of a new era of obesity treatment hung over the proceedings, there was time enough at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting for academic debates over just how to mend a broken heart, the role of artificial intelligence in guiding treatment, and whether cardiovascular health is a convincing reason to get a flu shot. (Garde and Herper, 3/6)

The New York Times: Lesion Removed During Biden’s Physical Was Cancerous 
President Biden had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest during his physical last month, the president’s doctor said Friday. The existence of the lesion was included in the summary of Mr. Biden’s physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in mid-February. On Friday, Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, the president’s longtime physician, said a biopsy confirmed that it was basal cell carcinoma, a common and relatively unaggressive form of skin cancer. (Rogers, 3/3)

Politico: Biopsy Found Biden’s Skin Lesion Was A Common Skin Cancer, White House Doctor Says
In a memo on Friday, the president’s doctor noted that basal cell lesions “do not tend to ‘spread’ or metastasize,” as other serious skin cancers do. During Biden’s physical last month, the area of the skin on his chest was removed via electrodesiccation and curettage, a common skin cancer treatment that involves scraping and removing the skin with a sharp instrument and a high-frequency electric current. The doctor sent the lesion for a biopsy on Feb. 16. “The site of the biopsy has healed nicely and the President will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing comprehensive health care,” Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, wrote Friday. (Ward, 3/3)

Stat: What Is Basal Cell Carcinoma, The Skin Cancer Biden Just Had 
Just over two weeks ago, President Biden had skin cancer, but today, he doesn’t. According to a White House physician’s memo on Friday, doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center removed a lesion off his chest on Feb. 16, treated the area around the tumor site, and that was that. The president’s cancer might be cause for more concern were it not for the type: basal cell carcinoma. (Chen and Cohrs, 3/3)

The Hill: Ronny Jackson Jabs Biden Over Cancerous Lesion Removal 
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who was a White House doctor during the Obama and Trump administrations, jabbed President Biden on Sunday when asked about his cancerous lesion removal earlier this week. (Sforza, 3/5)

In other news about cancer —

Stat: MRNA Vaccine For HPV-Associated Cancers Shows Promise In Mice
The HPV vaccine is a slam dunk in preventing the vast majority of cancers related to the infection — namely tumors of the head and neck, anus, penis, vagina, and cervix. But that’s only for people who got shots early enough to prevent HPV infection. Everyone else must hope for other vaccines that scientists are developing to treat existing HPV-associated cancer. A new study on that front offers some promising, if early, results in mice. (Chen, 3/3)

The New York Times: How A.I. Is Being Used To Detect Cancer That Doctors Miss 
Advancements in A.I. are beginning to deliver breakthroughs in breast cancer screening by detecting the signs that doctors miss. So far, the technology is showing an impressive ability to spot cancer at least as well as human radiologists, according to early results and radiologists, in what is one of the most tangible signs to date of how A.I. can improve public health. (Stariano and Metz, 3/5)

The Boston Globe: Foundation Stirs Controversy By Charging Cancer Patients $83,000 For Unproven But Promising Experimental Drug
It has been more than 11 years since Julia Young was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, and two years since it spread to her lymph system. … Still, when doctors told her last year that the cancer was growing despite two operations, radiation therapy, and a fifth regimen of chemotherapy, the retired business-meeting facilitator decided to do something unorthodox: spend $83,000 out of pocket on an unproven experimental cancer vaccine. (Saltzman, 3/4)

Los Angeles Times: California To End Mask, Vaccine Rules For Healthcare Workers
With the COVID-19 state of emergency a thing of the past, California health officials on Friday unveiled plans to relax guidance on masking in high-risk settings and to end vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. (Money, 3/3)

AP: Washington, Oregon To End Health Care Settings Mask Mandate
Washington and Oregon will soon drop mask requirements in health care settings, state health officials said Friday, moving to lift the last major masking requirements meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. Mandates in both states will end on April 3, meaning health care workers, patients and visitors will no longer be required to wear a mask in facilities including hospitals, urgent care centers and dental and doctors’ offices. Washington’s mask requirements in correctional facilities will also end April 3. (3/3)

More on the spread of covid —

The Boston Globe: Five People Are Dead At A South Yarmouth Nursing Home After A COVID-19 Outbreak
Five residents of a South Yarmouth nursing home died in recent days following an outbreak of COVID-19, which also caused more than 90 additional cases among residents and staff. The state Department of Public Health has ordered Pittsfield-based Integritus Healthcare, which operates Windsor Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in South Yarmouth, to cease admissions of new residents while officials respond to the outbreak. (Hilliard, 3/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Levels Remain Stable Nationwide
About 82% of all U.S. counties have low COVID-19 community levels, according to updated figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 78% in that tier last week. Another 16% have medium levels, down from 20%, and 2.5% have high levels, compared to 2% in the same period. (Vaziri, 3/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: “No Guarantee” Virus Will Become Endemic, Prominent Researcher Tells Wachter
In a fireside chat with UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter on Thursday, Eric Topol of Scripps Research expressed optimism that the U.S. may be moving toward an endemic state with COVID-19 but noted there is “no guarantee” it will happen. (Vaziri, 3/3)

CIDRAP: Cardiovascular Risks Of Long COVID Persist For At Least 1 Year, Study Suggests 
One year after COVID-19 infection, US adults with lingering symptoms were at elevated risk for cardiovascular conditions such as ischemic stroke and blood clots in the lungs, according to a nationwide study published today in JAMA Health Forum. (Van Beusekom, 3/3)

On the origins of covid —

San Francisco Chronicle: All Pandemic Origin Theories Remain Viable, Says WHO
Officials from the World Health Organization on Friday said that all COVID-19 origin theories remain viable despite recent U.S. reports promoting the idea that the deadly virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China. “If any country has information about the origins of the pandemic, it is essential for that information to be shared with WHO and the international scientific community,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing. (Vaziri, 3/3)

The Hill: House Republican Says FBI, Energy Officials May Testify On COVID Lab Leak Conclusions
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) said it was possible that FBI and Department of Energy officials would testify in front of a House panel in the future, after reports that concluded, with varying degrees of confidence, that the source of the pandemic was a leak from a lab. “There may come a time for that,” Wenstrup said when asked on CBS’s “Face The Nation” whether officials would be called to testify. “I would hope that they do it willingly and depends on which committee you’re talking about, because some of the testimony likely at this point would be classified.”(Neukam, 3/5)

AP: Utah Governor Says He Plans To Sign Abortion Clinic Ban 
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday that he plans to sign a measure that would effectively ban abortion clinics from operating in the state, meaning hospitals will soon be the only places where they can be provided in the state. After passing through the state Senate on Thursday with minor amendments, it returned to the Utah House of Representatives Friday morning, where it was approved and then sent to the governor for final approval. The move comes less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, returning the power to regulate abortions to states. (Metz, 3/4)

The New York Times: How The Fall Of Roe Turned North Carolina Into An Abortion Destination 
Clinic by clinic, county by county and up to the highest levels of state government, no state embodies the nation’s post-Roe upheaval like North Carolina. In the eight months since the federal right to abortion was eliminated, leaving states free to make their own abortion laws, North Carolina, where the procedure remains legal up to 20 weeks, has become a top destination for people from states where it is banned or severely restricted. North Carolina experienced a 37 percent jump in abortions, according to WeCount, an abortion-tracking project sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion rights. (Kelly, 3/5)

Insider: SC Is The Latest State With Bill To Punish Abortion With Death Penalty
South Carolina is the latest GOP-led state to propose a bill that would make the death penalty a punishment for abortion. State Rep. Rob Harris introduced the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023 last week, which could make getting an abortion the same as committing homicide. The bill had been prefiled in December and is now sits in the Judiciary Committee. (Al-Arshani, 3/4)

The Boston Globe: House Approves $1 Million Public Education Campaign On The Dangers Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers
The Massachusetts Legislature is trying, once again, to create a state-funded public education campaign about crisis pregnancy centers, antiabortion facilities accused of posing as reproductive health care clinics. Former governor Charlie Baker vetoed an identical proposal last November. (Mohammed, 3/5)

Across state borders —

AP: The Implications Of Walgreens’ Decision On Abortion Pills 
Rite Aid Corp. said it was “monitoring the latest federal, state, legal and regulatory developments” and would keep evaluating its policies. The Associated Press also sought comment from CVS Health Corp., retail giant Walmart and the grocery chain Kroger. Some independent pharmacists would like to become certified to dispense the pills, said Andrea Pivarunas, a spokeswoman for the National Community Pharmacists Association. She added that this would be a “personal business decision,” based partly on state laws. The association has no specifics on how many will do it. (Murphy, 3/3)

Insider: Police Are Getting Help From Social Media Sites To Prosecute People For Abortion
As abortion bans across the nation are implemented and enforced, law enforcement is turning to social media platforms to build cases to prosecute women seeking abortions or abortion-inducing medication – and online platforms like Google and Facebook are helping. This spring, a woman named Jessica Burgess and her daughter will stand trial in Nebraska for performing an illegal abortion — with a key piece of evidence provided by Meta, the parent company of Facebook. Burgess allegedly helped her daughter find and take pills that would induce an abortion. The teenage Burgess also faces charges for allegedly illegally disposing of the fetus’ remains. (Tangalakis-Lippet, 3/4)

AP: Abortion Clinics Crossing State Borders Not Always Welcome 
The pastors smiled as they held the doors open, grabbing the hands of those who walked by and urging many to keep praying and to keep showing up. Some responded with a hug. A few grimaced as they squeezed past. Shelley Koch, a longtime resident of southwest Virginia, had witnessed a similar scene many Sunday mornings after church services. On this day, however, it played out in a parking lot outside a modest government building in Bristol where officials had just advanced a proposal that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of her community. For months, residents of the town have battled over whether clinics limited by strict anti-abortion laws in neighboring Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia should be allowed to continue to hop over the border and operate there. The proposal on the table, submitted by anti-abortion activists, was that they shouldn’t. The local pastors were on hand to spread that message. (Kruesi, Rankin and Powell, 3/3)

On the 2024 elections —

The Wall Street Journal: Can A Moderate Abortion-Rights Supporter Be The Republican Presidential Nominee? Chris Sununu Wants To Find Out. 
Gov. Chris Sununu says abortion should remain legal in New Hampshire well into the second trimester of pregnancy. He opposed Republican legislation that could have forced schools to reveal a student’s sexual orientation to parents. He killed a GOP plan to redraw a House district boundary in the party’s favor. It is an unusual record for a Republican, particularly one now testing whether he can win the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination. (Zitner and Chinni, 3/5)

Reuters: As 2024 Election Approaches, White House Jumps Into States’ Abortion Battles
The White House is jumping into state-level battles for women’s reproductive rights, lending legal and messaging advice to allies in states pushing restrictions as the Biden administration seeks to make abortion access a rallying cry in next year’s presidential election. By leaning on key local lawmakers and backing legislation to expand abortion rights, the White House is hoping to expand on the relative success that Democrats earned in the midterm elections by making abortion a large part of their campaign. (Bose, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Regular Laxative Use Correlated With Higher Dementia Risk In U.K. Study 
Regular laxative use may be correlated with dementia, according to research published in the journal Neurology in February. The study looked at a cohort of 502,229 British adults participating in UK Biobank, a long-term initiative that gathered extensive genetic and health information from 40- to 69-year-olds in England, Wales and Scotland between 2006 and 2010. The participants had no history of dementia. Researchers compared those who reported no regular laxative use with those who said they used laxatives most days of the week for the past four weeks in surveys. (Blakemore, 3/4)

On the cost of insulin —

Stat: Eli Lilly Will Avoid Big Medicaid Rebates After It Cut Insulin Prices
Eli Lilly would’ve had to pay Medicaid about $150 for each vial of insulin used in the program if it hadn’t dramatically cut the list prices for some of its older products this week. The company was about to run into a Medicaid penalty for hiking the price of its drugs faster than the rate of inflation. Now that it plans to lower the list price of the insulin Humalog 70%, it won’t trigger that penalty. Lilly also is lowering the price of Lispro, a biosimilar of Humalog, to $25 a vial. (Wilkerson, 3/6)

KHN: Journalists Discuss Insulin Prices, Gun Violence, Distracted Driving, And More 
Midwest KHN correspondent Bram Sable-Smith discussed the Eli Lilly news on insulin prices on “PBS NewsHour” and insulin prices on Slate’s “What Next” on March 1. … KHN contributor Andy Miller discussed Georgia’s legislative wrap-up including Medicaid work requirements on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Lawmakers” on Feb. 28. He also discussed health care for foster children on WUGA’s “The Georgia Health Report” on Feb. 3. (3/4)

In other pharmaceutical news —

CBS News: FDA Warns Of False Negative Results For Food Allergies After Skin Test Recall
All skin tests doctors commonly use to check for food allergies can provide false negative results, the Food and Drug Administration has concluded — meaning people with potentially life-threatening allergies could mistakenly be told they are not at risk. The tests will now be required to include a warning urging doctors to consider double-checking the test with more accurate approaches. (Tin, 3/3)

NPR: Genome Summit To Weigh Pros And Cons Of Gene-Editing
Hundreds of scientists, doctors, bioethicists, patients, and others started gathering in London Monday for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing. The summit this week will debate and possibly issue recommendations about the thorny issues raised by powerful new gene-editing technologies. (Stein, 3/6)

KHN: Despite Pharma Claims, Illicit Drug Shipments To US Aren’t Full Of Opioids. It’s Generic Viagra.
For years, the FDA has defended its efforts to intercept prescription drugs coming from abroad by mail as necessary to keep out dangerous opioids, including fentanyl. The pharmaceutical industry frequently cites such concerns in its battle to stymie numerous proposals in Washington to allow Americans to buy drugs from Canada and other countries where prices are almost always much lower. (Galewitz, 3/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Judith Heumann, Disability-Rights Activist, Dies At 75
Judith Heumann, a renowned activist who helped secure legislation protecting the rights of people with disabilities, has died. She was 75 years old. Ms. Heumann died Saturday in Washington, D.C., according to a statement from her family. Over decades of activism, Ms. Heumann played a role in developing national disability-rights legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. She was also involved in the passage of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (Otis, 3/5)  

The New York Times: Judy Heumann, Who Led The Fight For Disability Rights, Dies At 75 
A quadriplegic since childhood, Ms. Heumann (pronounced human) began her career in activism waging a one-woman battle to be allowed to work as a teacher in New York City when discrimination against disabled people was not widely understood as a problem. She went on to become an official in the Clinton administration, a special adviser in the Obama State Department and a fellow or board member at some of the nation’s leading nonprofits. She was also featured in the Oscar-nominated 2020 documentary “Crip Camp.” (Traub, 3/5)

Heumann mourned as ‘trailblazer’ and ‘fearless champion’ —

The Hill: Biden Remembers Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann As ‘Rolling Warrior’
President Biden on Sunday remembered disability rights activist Judith Heumann, who passed away on Saturday at 75, as a “trailblazer” and a “rolling warrior.” … “Judy Heumann was a trailblazer – a rolling warrior – for disability rights in America. After her school principal said she couldn’t enter Kindergarten because she was using a wheelchair, Judy dedicated the rest of her life to fighting for the inherent dignity of people with disabilities,” Biden said in a statement. (Sforza, 3/5)

The Wall Street Journal: Judith Heumann, Disability-Rights Activist, Dies At 75
Actress and activist Marlee Matlin called Ms. Heumann “a fearless champion” in an online tribute. “Millions of people who have faced barriers owe her a debt of gratitude,” Ms. Matlin, an Oscar-winning actress with hearing loss, posted on Twitter. (Otis, 3/5)

NPR: Activist Judy Heumann Led A Reimagining Of What It Means To Be Disabled
Judy Heumann was the first person I called when, in 1987, I reported my first story on disability rights. Judy, who contracted polio when she was 18 months old, gave me the quote that perfectly summed up that little-known civil rights movement. “Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives — job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example,” she said. “It is not a tragedy to me that I’m living in a wheelchair.” That idea seemed so unexpected and strange that my editors at a newsmagazine decided not to publish my story. It was still a radical claim that disabled people didn’t see themselves, or their conditions, as something to be pitied. (Joseph Shapiro, 3/4)

AP: Another Mississippi Hospital Will Stop Delivering Babies
A hospital on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will suspend labor and delivery services April 1 because of a shortage of obstetricians, further decreasing health care access in a state that has seen other hospitals shut down birthing centers or intensive care for newborn babies. Singing River Gulfport said in its announcement Thursday that hospital leaders hope the suspension of services will be temporary, WXXV-TV reported. (3/3)

More on costs and staffing —

Modern Healthcare: 4 Takeaways From Health Systems’ 2022 Earnings Reports
Labor shortages, rising expenses and poor performance in the financial markets led to a money-losing year many in the industry would like to forget. “When you look back at 2022, for a sizable portion for the sector, it’s going to go down again as really one of, if not the worst, operating income years ever,” said Kevin Holloran, senior director at Fitch Ratings. “Some people got better as the year went on … but not everybody.” (Hudson, 3/3) 

KHN: Struggling To Survive, The First Rural Hospitals Line Up For New Federal Lifeline 
Just off the historic U.S. Route 66 in eastern New Mexico, a 10-bed hospital has for decades provided emergency care for a steady flow of people injured in car crashes and ranching accidents. It also has served as a close-to-home option for the occasional overnight patient, usually older residents with pneumonia or heart trouble. It’s the only hospital for the more than 4,500 people living on a swath of 3,000 square miles of high plains and lakes east of Albuquerque. (Tribble, 3/6)

North Carolina Health News: Advanced Practice Nurses Spar With Doctors Who Oppose Granting More Autonomy
Stephenie Brinson is fed up with having to pay a doctor every month to periodically examine her patients’ charts and paperwork twice a year — just so she can run a private nursing practice in Garner. A primary care provider and board-certified family nurse practitioner, Brinson said she started a primary care business 10 years ago that has grown to employ more nurse practitioners and serve a large population of un- and underinsured patients. She had worked as a nurse in other health care settings for a decade before deciding to strike out on her own. (Hoban, 3/6)

Stat: Novant Hospital Merger In North Carolina Raises Antitrust Concerns
Hospital systems are turning to cross-market mergers to satiate their thirst for growth and avoid antitrust heat. But hospitals are also still signing other lower-profile deals, which experts believe inevitably lead to higher insurance premiums and create more medical bill stress for people in those communities. “Smaller mergers just don’t get the attention they deserve because they affect fewer people,” said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University who studies hospital consolidation. (Herman, 3/6)

In other health care industry news —

AP: Nevada Crash Is 3rd Fatal One Tied To Air Medical Service 
The company that owns the medical transport aircraft that crashed in northern Nevada last week, killing all five people aboard, has been tied to two other fatal crashes in the last four years. A review of records shows that with the latest crash, 11 people total have now died on planes owned and operated by Guardian Flight, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Friday. The company is also now facing its fourth National Transportation Safety Board probe since 2018, said Bruce Landsberg, NTSB vice chairman. (3/3)

Modern Healthcare: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Opens Family Commons
During long days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital five years ago, Paula Elsener and her son would find respite sitting by a window behind a bank of elevators. “That was our spot,” she said, reflecting on the secluded corner with two chairs and views of a nearby pyramid-shaped building. (Berryman, 3/6)

KHN: Virtual Or In Person: Which Kind Of Doctor’s Visit Is Better, And When It Matters 
When the covid-19 pandemic swept the country in early 2020 and emptied doctors’ offices nationwide, telemedicine was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Patients and their physicians turned to virtual visits by video or phone rather than risk meeting face-to-face. During the early months of the pandemic, telehealth visits for care exploded. (Andrews, 3/6)

St. Louis Public Radio: Wash U Professor Advocates For Hospitalized Mental Health Patients
A Washington University professor’s research on patients who are hospitalized for mental health problems has prompted Congress to make sure such patients are included in federal health surveys. The provision included in the federal 2023 budget bill will require providers to ask people who were hospitalized for mental or behavioral health problems questions that could help improve care. (Fentem, 3/6)

The Washington Post: For Many Congregations, Wiping Out Medical Debt Has Become A Popular Calling
When members of First Presbyterian Church decided to launch a capital campaign to expand and renovate their imposing Gothic Revival edifice, they also wanted to take on a service project to help the poor. The congregation settled on raising $50,000 to eliminate medical debt for people living below the poverty line. (Shimron, 3/3)

Fox News: Florida Residents Warned About Tap Water After Man Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba
Nearly a quarter million Floridians are being warned to avoid washing their face with tap water after a man died from a brain-eating amoeba in February. The advice, which applies to the nearly 200,000 residents of Charlotte County, comes after a county resident died on February 20. (Vacchiano, 3/3)

AP: Officials: Person Dies After Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection
A person in southwest Florida has died after being infected with an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba, health officials said. The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County confirmed the death Thursday. The agency had previously issued an alert last month, warning residents about the Naegleria fowleri infection. (3/3)

On Legionnaires’ disease —

AP: Legionnaires’ Disease Found In 2 Past Las Vegas Hotel Guests
Las Vegas area health officials say Legionnaires’ disease was found in two people who stayed at the same hotel in recent months. The Southern Nevada Health District announced Friday it is looking into two cases reported in guests who stayed at The Orleans Hotel & Casino a few miles west of the Strip. One guest visited there in January. The other in December. The hotel is informing current and past guests going back to Dec. 16 of possible exposure. (3/3)

On norovirus and Cronobacter sakazakii —

NBC News: Norovirus Is Spiking: Symptoms To Watch For And How To Prevent It
Norovirus appears to be at a 12-month high, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of norovirus tests coming back positive, averaged over three weeks, was around 17% as of the end of last week. That’s the highest it has been at any time in the last year. (Varinsky and Ede-Osifo, 3/9)

USA Today: Cronobacter Sakazakii Infections Can Be Deadly For Babies, CDC Warns
Following an infant death linked to a contaminated breast pump last year, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are continuing to warn parents about rare infections caused by Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria. In a report published on Friday, the CDC notes that C. sakazakii infections can cause severe illness and death in newborns. (Grantham-Philips, 3/3)

On deer ticks and chikungunya —

Connecticut Public: Warming Northeast Winters Benefit Deer Ticks, Raising Health Concerns
Every year, deer ticks bite thousands of people in the Northeast. And as winters in the region become more mild, adult deer ticks are becoming more active at a time when they’re normally dormant — causing a bigger public health risk. “It’s becoming a year-round, check-yourself-for-ticks situation,” said Dr. Toni Lyn Morelli with the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center. (Savitt, 3/4)

CIDRAP: CDC Warns Of Risk To Travelers From Chikungunya Outbreak In Paraguay
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to clinicians and public health officials warning that US travelers could be affected by a growing chikungunya outbreak in Paraguay. Since the chikungunya outbreak began in October 2022, the Ministry of Health in Paraguay has reported 71,748 suspected cases of the mosquito-borne alphavirus, with 29,362 of those cases being probable or confirmed. Most cases have been reported in the capital district of Asuncion and the neighboring Central department. Further increases in case counts are expected. (Dall, 3/3)

On the effects of radiation —

Stat: What The Dogs Of Chernobyl Can Teach Us About Life At The Edge
You’d think an irradiated wasteland would be a poor place to make a home, but some animals beg to differ. Since the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown 37 years ago, both wild animals and free-roaming domesticated dogs have, to the surprise and delight of environmentalists, flocked to and flourished in the evacuated,1,000 square mile zone surrounding the plant. It’s a revealing paradox of modern life: A place too corrosive for humans to live is the rare place animals can live undisturbed. (Mast, 3/3)

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Psychologists Eligible To Prescribe Medications Under New Law
Psychologists in Colorado will be allowed to write prescriptions if they’re willing to obtain an additional two-year degree, under a new law signed Friday by Gov. Jared Polis. The measure is intended to increase access to mental health care in Colorado, which has a severe shortage of mental health professionals. Psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, fought the legislation. (Brown, 3/3)

In health news from California —

San Francisco Chronicle: Judge Slaps California Over Incomplete Prisoner Suicide Protections
A federal judge said this week that she will begin fining California potentially tens of thousands of dollars daily after more than 200 prison inmates killed themselves during eight years in which state corrections officials failed to complete court-ordered suicide prevention measures. (Thompson, 3/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: As Parents’ Rights Efforts Grow, California Focuses On Kids’ Autonomy
California lawmakers want to make it easier for children over 12 to access mental health treatment without a parent’s permission. They also want to let 16- and 17-year-olds get treatment for opioid addiction. (Bollag, 3/3)

Bay Area News Group: Fentanyl Crisis: Bay Area Schools Step Up Training For Narcan, Some Won’t
As state and local officials voice growing concern about the fentanyl crisis — and the U.S. attorney general says the Justice Department is focusing “enormous urgency” on the deadly drug — high schools in nearly a dozen Bay Area districts are still not prepared to save an overdosing student, according to a survey by the Bay Area News Group. (Nickerson and Prodis Sulek, 3/5)

Los Angeles Times: Complaints Have Dogged L.A. County Condom Program
In December, Spider Davila pleaded with a Los Angeles County employee for help. “Can you let them know that we are out of condoms,” wrote Davila, who works for Community Health Project LA, which provides condoms and other health supplies on the streets. The group had turned to a county program that provides free condoms to be handed out by businesses and community groups, but its emails were going unanswered. (Alpert Reyes, 3/3)

From Texas and elsewhere —

Houston Chronicle: Houston Is The Most Stressful City To Work In, Says New Report
Where’s the most stressful place to work? Houston is at the top of the list, according to new report. The report, by LLC.org, listed the top 10 Most Stressful Cities for Workers (2023), and five cities in Texas make the list, three of which are in the top five. LLC.org helps people navigate hurdles to start companies across the country. (Holmes-Brown, 3/3)

Modern Healthcare: How Health Disparities Map Out Across America
In Evangeline Parish, a Cajun community in rural south central Louisiana, 1 in 4 people live in poverty. They are oil workers, timbermen and factory hands. Of the 32,000 who call the Acadiana territory home, more than 8,000 have disabilities and 3,000 subsist on less than half of the federal poverty level. (Hartnett, 3/5)

The Washington Post: Florida Bills Would Ban Gender Studies, Limit Trans Pronouns, Erode Tenure 
Florida legislators have proposed a spate of new laws that would reshape K-12 and higher education in the state, from requiring teachers to use pronouns matching children’s sex as assigned at birth to establishing a universal school choice voucher program. The half-dozen bills, filed by a cast of GOP state representatives and senators, come shortly before the launch of Florida’s legislative session Tuesday. Other proposals in the mix include eliminating college majors in gender studies, nixing diversity efforts at universities and job protections for tenured faculty, strengthening parents’ ability to veto K-12 class materials and extending a ban on teaching about gender and sexuality — from third grade up to eighth grade. (Natanson, Rozsa and Svrluga, 3/5)

The Washington Post: In Calif. Speech That Draws Protests, DeSantis Stokes Fight Over Pandemic 
As he moves toward entering the 2024 presidential race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a pilgrimage to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Sunday, where the Republican accused leaders in blue states such as California of being “lockdown politicians” and charged that the nation’s coronavirus crisis created “a great test in governing philosophies.” (Reston, 3/5)

In other news about transgender health care —

Wyoming Public Radio: Despite Two Attempts To Outlaw It, Gender-Affirming Care Will Remain Legal In Wyoming
Lawmakers brought two bills this session aimed at outlawing gender-affirming care for trans youth. Both of those bills died in the House. Sen. Charles Scott (R-Casper) filed a bill that would have made it a felony to provide trans youth with gender-affirming care like surgery or even just hormone blockers. The bill garnered fierce debate in the Senate Labor Committee, but ultimately sailed through the Senate, passing out of that chamber with a 22-9 vote. But that’s as far as it got. Like a lot of bills this session, Scott’s bill died when it failed to get introduced in the House of Representatives. (Victor, 3/3)

AP: How Common Is Transgender Treatment Regret, Detransitioning? 
In updated treatment guidelines issued last year, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health said evidence of later regret is scant, but that patients should be told about the possibility during psychological counseling. Dutch research from several years ago found no evidence of regret in transgender adults who had comprehensive psychological evaluations in childhood before undergoing puberty blockers and hormone treatment. (Tanner, 3/5)

The 19th: Family Support Has Major Impact On Black Trans Kids’ Mental Health, Survey Shows
Family support can make a significant difference for Black trans youth as they face mounting stress and discrimination, according to a new report from the Trevor Project. Even if parents are unsure of where to start, or how to talk to their kids about gender identity, longtime advocates and mental health providers suggest that simple ways to show acceptance can have a profound impact. (Rummler, 3/3)

Axios: What Is The State Of Gender-Affirming Care In America
Individual states have started enacting bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth in 2023, and more than 100 anti-trans health care bills have been introduced in state legislatures so far, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union. Most of these bills look to bar access to care — mainly surgery, hormone therapy and puberty blockers — for minors who seek to have their gender identity supported. However, some states are targeting people under 21. (Gonzalez, 3/3)

Los Angeles Times: How Has American Healthcare Gone So Wrong? 
We all have bad weeks. Mine recently made me marvel at the astonishing dysfunction of our healthcare system. In calling out the system I intend no disrespect to the talented and heroic overachievers in nursing, pharmacy, medicine and the other providers who fight the system every day on behalf of our patients. (Daniel J. Stone, 3/4)

The Washington Post: The GOP’s Epic Defeat On Health Care Is Laid Bare In North Carolina
Just after the Affordable Care Act fully took effect in 2014, around two dozen GOP-run states were refusing to implement the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid. This left millions of Americans languishing in a needless crisis, all because ACA-despising Republican legislators were turning away enormous sums of federal cash earmarked to cover their state’s poorest adult residents. (Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent, 3/3)

The Boston Globe: License Midwives To Help Struggling Birth Centers 
A birth center gives women with low-risk pregnancies a more homey setting than a hospital, with personalized prenatal care provided by nurse midwives, more natural birth options, and fewer medical interventions. For example, a birth center may offer a tub for a water birth or allow multiple family members to be present, but a center cannot offer medication for pain relief or perform a cesarean section. (3/5)

The Tennessean: You Don’t Solve The Physician Shortage By Cutting Their Pay
Clinicians delivering care every day are being asked to do too many things – pick up more overtime, defer more PTO, stay late, come in early, and spend more nights and weekends on call. So how did we get here? And more importantly, what do we do to solve this problem? (Jim Rechtin, 3/3)

Modern Healthcare: Federal Incentives Can Expand Primary Care In Underserved Communities 
Despite decades of effort at the regulatory level to increase access to high-quality and affordable healthcare for all Americans, millions remain stranded in medically underserved communities across the country. (Dr. Clive Fields, 3/6)

The New York Times: Does Gene Editing Have A Future In Reproductive Medicine? 
Since James Watson and Francis Crick first described the structure of the DNA double helix, scientists have debated the potential for creating genetically modified babies. In 2018, a Chinese scientist named He Jiankui announced he had actually done it: He used a gene editing tool called CRISPR to edit the embryos of twin girls in hopes of making them resistant to H.I.V. (Eben Kirksey, 3/4)

Stat: Building The Next Generation Of Clinical Trial Investigators
Issues of fairness and justice echo across the health ecosystem, including drug development. Much of the conversation on improving equity in the development of novel therapeutics centers on increasing diversity in clinical trials. A key step in that direction begins with ensuring more equitable representation among clinical investigators. (Irfan Khan, 3/6)

Newsweek: America’ COVID Response Was Based On Lies 
lmost all of America’s leaders have gradually pulled back their COVID mandates, requirements, and closures—even in states like California, which had imposed the most stringent and longest-lasting restrictions on the public. (Scott W. Atlas, 3/6)

Scientific American: Lab-Leak Intelligence Reports Aren’t Scientific Conclusions 
Intelligence reports have a checkered history. They have recently seized center stage in the debate over the origin of the pandemic virus. With a change of mind at the Department of Energy, and a mere restatement of position at the FBI, those arguing that the SARS-CoV-2 virus leaked from a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology are pressing their case. (Cheryl Rofer, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Do Not Trust A Study Questioning Face Masks During The Covid Pandemic 
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, a respected biomedical journal, surprised the public recently with a peer-reviewed article raising doubts about the effectiveness of wearing face masks and respirators during the pandemic. (3/3)